The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

The Name "Brights"...

By definition I am a bright. However, I hate the name. Why are Brights not naturalists, which is more descriptive, accurate, and less cocky sounding. Where does the term come from and why do people like it?

3 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Il Gobb on May 2, 2010 at 9:06am

Whoops! Sorry, English is not my mother tongue and spelling mistakes pop up in my writing here and there ;)

Permalink Reply by Il Gobb on May 2, 2010 at 9:07am

Never arrived in Italy, I fear ^___^

Permalink Reply by Charles Alexander Zorn on July 13, 2010 at 7:43am

Because some naturalists can be woo slinging super naturalists, I use non-super-naturalists more often, although it would suggest like the atheist theist dichotomy, a negative positioned as a positive. But it is clearly not a negative. We are both umbrella and unstigmatized definition, proactive, positive, expansive and inclusive. There are those who wield both dogma and stigma but it sticks not to Brightness. We are resilient.

There is a battle within the non-believer spectrum for both territory and doctrine. Brights are not aloof but clearly above all that.

I usually say, if the only criticism people can offer is that the name is unattractive (which it isn't, it's quite luminous), then our detractors don't understand the underlying principals or are attempting to confuse non-supernaturalist into paying for memberships in their organizations when we just are and everyone only needs to be and do it together.

A word (est.) takes 20 years to be transformed and accepted in it's new usage. I have no problem waiting for the adjective to become a noun. We even reserve the right to change it as we are self defined and self designated. Words are place holders. We exist. I just smile and wave at the critics. Suckers.

We are the most inclusive definition of non-believers in the world. We are are continually expanding and suffer almost now attrition. Our habitual and destructive competitors, from within and without cannot say that.

The others fall short and compete for what is a natural existence.

Silly humans.

bce
caz, a bright

Permalink Reply by Kara Smith on July 14, 2010 at 12:21am

It comes from www.the-brights.net.

I like the term Brights for people who don't believe in anything supernatural, and Supers for those who do. It's very descriptive. But a lot of Supers don't like it, and I can kind of understand. Someone mentioned what I think is the perfect alternative. They're Supers, we're Naturals. Easy to explain, makes perfect sense. :-)

Permalink Reply by Dale on July 14, 2010 at 12:24am

Interesting idea. I think Naturals doesn't have the same optimistic tone to it though. Which is one of a couple of reasons Naturalist wasn't the idea to adopt.

Permalink Reply by Kara Smith on July 14, 2010 at 12:26am

Really? I think Natural sounds pretty optimistic. As in, "Wow, you're a natural at this." ^^

Permalink Reply by Dale on July 14, 2010 at 12:31am

Okay, I didn't take it in that fashion. There are a large number of alternatives being thrown around. You have won me on the cuteness of Natural. We also have Freethinker, Rationalist, Skeptic, Atheist, Secular Humanist, Bright, Naturalist and I am sure I am missing a few others. Each one has a slight difference in denotation and connotation but in general are all very very similar.

Permalink Reply by Kara Smith on July 14, 2010 at 12:44am

Yeah, you're right about that. I guess I like the term Natural because I wasn't what you'd normally call a Theist to begin with, and neither are most of my friends. But most of the people I know have a number of supernatural beliefs, from reincarnation and heaven to totem spirits and ghosts. I just want there to be an easy word to denote the fact that I'm finally free of all that stuff.

Naturalist is pretty cool, but it's already taken by those who study nature professionally. We don't want to piss off those park rangers. And nudists... ;-)

Permalink Reply by Dale on July 14, 2010 at 12:50am

Well, we could just join the park rangers and nudists and all move into the woods naked to tend to them... no, I would miss my technology too much. Some people might confuse Natural with someone who likes Organic things... I would have to say I am against that as organic farming methods couldn't feed the planet and I kinda like mankind regardless of its seemingly endless amount of crazy, evil and stupid. We do have a lot of good things. Just think, you can say "I look at the Bright side of life".

Permalink Reply by Kara Smith on July 15, 2010 at 1:43pm

Ah! Good point. I could never be a nudist btw. I sunburn too easily. ^^

Permalink Reply by Dale on July 15, 2010 at 2:46pm

It is my style that wouldn't allow it. And my sense of cleanliness.

Permalink Reply by Kara Smith on July 15, 2010 at 4:04pm

XD "I was a naturalist...until my butt got muddy. So I decided to look on the Bright side of life."